Dec immunised

Declan had his 4-year old immunisation injections during the week. He was brave but did cry a bit after the first one when he saw the second one coming and then went pale and into a swoon after the second one.

This is the worst age for them I reckon. For the earlier ones the kids didn't really understand what was happening. This one they're old enough to understand but not old enough to be fully stoic about it - but then again, some of us never reach that stage!

Skipping 3

Callum told me tonight at dinner that he is the best skipper in the whole world. He's challenged me to a skipping race, with points awarded for style and speed. It'll take place in the backyard at the weekend - four laps, apparently.

He told me a few days ago that skipping is his favourite hobby.

Skipping 2

Last week the school asked us if we want to consider putting Cal up a grade next semester. We explained we didn't; but this week are going to talk to them about how to cater to him differently in class.

Skipping 1

Callum is skipping everywhere. He loves skipping for a reason I haven't quite yet fathomed.

Last Friday was his school disco. We arrived to find quite a few kids already there, mostly milling about in the middle of the hall. Cal launched himself in and started skipping laps, for all the world like an ice-skater going round and round and round.

Counting to Infinity

A reminder for irregular readers. Declan is on a promise to get a cat when he can count to 100 (a milestone he has seemed on the verge of for months, now).

Declan told me tonight at dinner that we should get a dog. Reason? last week he counted "all the way to infinity. I missed a few numbers, mummy, but I counted all the way to infinity".

But why not a cat? "a cat wouldn't come with us when we go for walks".

We've told him we'll probably get a cat (if he still wants one) after our September holiday, but that our backyard is too small for a dog.

Party activities

I took Callum and Declan to a friend's 40th today. Very child friendly, as they had a trampoline (and two small girls the same age as Callum and Declan. After at least 2 solid hours bouncing on the trampoline (for those readers in Sydney, the trampoline, although in the backyard, had a tarpaulin draped over it to keep the rain out), Callum and Declan finally decided that they were a bit tired of all this exercise, and we wandered inside to find some entertainment.

They were both very taken with the dolls' house belonging to one of the girls, and made up stories very happily about the events taking place there.

Loud

We had the gang over for lunch on Queens Birthday Monday (the Gaynor Vincents, Lees, and just the Linigens of the Linigen Langdons), we were pretty much as loud as you could get.

It was quite cold, so everyone was inside, and at one point I was forced to confiscate the thunder box, toy recorder and two sound pistols that were being used to maximum decibel effect from Callum, Declan, Aidan and Tommy respectively.

It didn't really have that much effect - shouting being a good substitute when no sound effects can be had.

I was pleased to see that there is still a fair bit of play to be had in our train set, even if Callum and Declan mostly only play with it with their grandmother these days - Zoe looks like becoming quite the train addict and made a beeline for all available Thomases. One had to be prised from her hands by her father as she was waving goodbye.

Canberra

We just got back from a weekend in Canberra - drove down Saturday morning, got back Sunday night in time for dinner. Callum's now decided that we should go to Canberra once a year (since it's pretty close to a year since we last went).

As last time, the highlight for Callum was Questacon, but Declan was very taken with the National Art Gallery, which we visited first. He particularly loved the Monet picture of waterlilies, which was similar to one he saw and got to try and copy at Neutral Bay Kindergarten a couple of months ago.

Hard to tell what Callum's favourite part of Questacon was - the water play section got a serious workout on Saturday afternoon, but the Earthquake House was pretty good, as was the new Spy section. Declan put his hand up and answered a question in the balloon show (what is the third "h" that you can make a balloon float with - answer "hot air"), and was so taken with the show that when he got home he immediately set to work to make a balloon bursting contraption.

I'm reading

Yesterday morning, when I came downstairs, Callum was absorbed in a book (part of a fantasy series that Evan has got him addicted to recently). I sat next to him on the couch, and attempted to engage him in conversation. "I'm reading, Jennifer". I gave up and went upstairs to have a shower.

Crumbs

After the success of his cardboard robot dog, Declan (helped by Evan going wild in the hardware shop) made a sturdier robot dog out of a combination of bucket, mop, and roller wheels, plus assorted other bits and pieces for character.

Declan's decided that this robot dog likes to eat "crumbs". Turns out that if you cut paper up into small pieces, they become crumbs - a use of the english language that has bemused all who have heard it, at least the first time. Often after dinner, Declan will suggest that he cuts up some more paper, "because my robot dog is hungry".

The health report

The week before last we visited the paediatric specialist at RNSH. He confirmed the pneumonia was now clear. He also reported on Cal's EEG test. Apparently it was fine: there was a small "blip" but that was nothing to worry about.

Last week I took Callum to the heart specialist. After a fascinating ultra-sound the doctor confirmed he could find nothing wrong with the physical structure or the blood flow. Cal needs to do one more test to check the electrics, but the doctors are clearly expecting this to remain a mystery.

And while on the subject of health, Declan had a strange 3-hours of vomiting episode on Tuesday Last week. It came and went in a flash and was memorable only really for the great way Declan handled getting himself to the toilet or a bucket as needed.

Finally, both boys seem to have stopped coughing.

Sleepovers

The boys have had two sleepover experiences this week. First, Griffin and Isabel came over to spend the night on Friday night. We had Grandma and Grandpa staying as well, so a very full house! Griffin and Isabel shared a double mattress on Callum and Declan's floor, and it was surprisingly quiet in there after they went to bed. When I looked in on them before going upstairs, I did discover, though that neither Declan nor Griffin had clothes on. When I asked Declan why in the morning, he said that, "I was hot". He and Isabel played very nicely together, making up fantastic stories about their stuffed toys, while Griffin and Callum played with Callum's new computer game obsession Lego Loco (a game that involves creating traintracks on a computer - Callum's idea of heaven).

Then last night, Callum and Declan took the train down to Grandma and Grandpa's place where a plethora of delights awaited them: the next door neighbour's trampoline (and two boys to play with), a computer to play Lego Loco on, some wood for Declan and Grandma to make a stool out of, and making gingerbread men in the morning. They even slept in in the morning! (by their standards - 6.36 for Callum, 7.20 for Declan) which hopefully will mean that they may be welcome again some time.